Friday, December 30, 2011

Wrap-Up-- for Reals This Time ;o)

Ok, time to really wrap up the (handmade) Christmas gifts.

When I started (and named) this blog, I didn't realize that I'd eventually become so enamored of crochet (and knitting). I expected to spend more time learning to sew than I do-- but I do still sew a little, with plans for more, eventually-- and a couple of the gifts I gave this year were rag quilts. (Which I'm not very good at photographing, apparently. They get blurry. I need to either take them outside or get out the tripod, next time.)

This one for my paternal grandparents:

(I gave my maternal grandparents an almost identical one, last Christmas. Er... Actually, I'm not sure which one is pictured, but I think they were so close in appearance that it hardly matters.)

Then there was this one for my husband, Donald:

He's from Sweden, so when I really looked at this denim-- blue on one side, yellow on the other-- it seemed perfect for a Swedish flag rag quilt. The back of the quilt is done all in dark blue flannel-- quick and easy.

I like rag quilts. They're warm. They're sturdy. And if they look a little rough around the edges, that's ok; they're supposed to look a little scruffy and well-loved. That's a major part of their charm. However, they do shed. They're kind of like our Eskie, Trixie. I love her and wouldn't want to do without her, but having an Eskie in your home means you will have long, white dog hairs on you when you leave the house. Similarly, rag quilts can be a real pain to wash, the first few times, because they shed so much-- and even after they're washed and dried, they shed the occasional thread or twenty. I sometimes find them on the couch... on my crochet projects in progress... on our clothes. But it's not nearly as prolific as the dog hair, trust me.

So, those were the sewn gifts...

Before I became obsessed with crochet, I was obsessed with polymer clay. (And I still enjoy polymer clay. I just spend far less time thinking about and messing around with it. I intend to get back into it, though...)

The first grandchild in my family was born this year-- my niece, Clarabel. I decided to make a little polymer clay Christmas tree ornament with her name and birth year on it, since I still have some ornaments that were given to me when I was a baby. It seems like a nice tradition to carry on.

Here's the simple ornament I made:

While I had the clay out, I made a few little extra things to stick in with the gift for one of my sisters. She had something about doll's house miniatures on her wish list, and I figured small food and pottery could fit into that category. Even if she doesn't care to use them, herself, one of these days her daughter (Clarabel) will be old enough to use them with her Barbies (or similar).

It's kind of a random assortment, but I had fun making them...

Aaaand... I do believe that wraps up the handmade gifts I gave this year!

I might post again soon with photos from a few other recent projects (or not-so-recent projects I'm just getting around to photographing, because I'm lazy).

Welcome!

I'm Michael (frequently found online as "MossyOwls"), and this is where I keep track of my crafty interests. I love to crochet, enjoy the occasional small knitting project, and am beginning to play around with (simple) machine quilting and watercolor painting. (No telling what could come next!)

Before I became obsessed with crocheting, I used to blog about another crafting passion-- polymer clay. (Might pick it up again, one of these days...)